10 Death Metal Albums to Listen to Before You Die

Death metal is such a vague term, even though it is in itself a sub genre of the greater umbrella of heavy metal music. But, when it comes to extreme metal, if a death metal band can write good songs is important. But more impressive is if a band can write a collection of good songs, thrown together cohesively in the form of an album. We now present our list of the10 Death Metal Albums to Listen to Before You Die.

10. At the Gates-Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
One of the best melodic death metal records released by Sweden's At the Gates. The album immediately pulls you into something morbid, yet beautifully arranged, musically. Anguished in terms of vocal delivery, by singer Tomas Lindberg, the music is aggressive, yet haunting and epic. Dark and uber fast, the songs are heavy, with drumming and riffs based on a strong foundation of thrash, and the traditional Gothenburg stripped down melodic death metal sound, which At the Gates helped to usher in. On this album, the band's fourth release, and debut on Earache records, Lindberg's misanthropic vocals pair with melodic, eerie guitars, on songs such as the opening classic track, "Blinded By Fear," as well as "Cold," "Under a Serpent Sun," and the title track, "Slaughter of the Soul."

9. Nile-Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)
These South Carolina death metal Egyptologists have carved out a niche for themselves in the international underground extreme metal scene. With insane, machine gun blast beats, and guitar riffs sped up to match the intensity, Nile's album Annihilation of the Wicked brings in a secret weapon the band has been using ever secret weapon: drummer George Kollias, a monster behind the drum kit, who has been with the band ever since the album's release back in 2005. The extra precision Kollias brings only amplifies the sheer power and fury of Nile's founder guitarist Karl Sanders.

This album's opening track "Dusk Falls Upon the Temple of the Serpent on the Mount of Sunrise," takes listeners on a auditory trip to ancient Egypt with its classical music meets Middle Eastern music vibe, but after 50 seconds, listeners are thrown face first into a brutally fast, majestic death metal style only few can achieve. Definitely a heavy album based on the spirit of Egyptian mythology, war and spirituality, this is a head banging, mosh pit inducing death metal offering to the gods. Be sure to check out the last two tracks, the title track, "Annihilation of the Wicked," as well as the epic closing song, "Von Unaussprechichen Kulten," which translates from German, to mean "From Unspeakable Cults."

It's a decent list but all of the bands listed, everyone that's in to metal has heard...if you don't listen to metal then yea listen to these albums...everyone has their own particular taste...these bands are the originators...but by no means the most unique that death metal has to offer...

seriously best band is missing...where is ENTOMBED...also where's Autopsy and Pungent Stench...but ok...these lists can never please everyone 100% Though I say you have to listen to "Left Hand Path" if you like Death Metal, a masterpiece

Pretty decent list. Of course many people will find fault in it, including me. I agree with the album picks from Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, and Death. Although the latter's "Individual Thought Patterns" is my favorite, I wouldn't necesarily declare it THE Death album to listen to. I'd probably go with "Leprosy" or "Human." For Obituary, "Cause of Death" is WAY better. By far their best album, hands down. Also, Atheist, Immolation and Pestilence deserve to be mentioned, but limiting it to 10 makes it impossible. You'd be hard pressed to do even a 25 album list that's comprehensive. I personally would've replaced Cryptopsy with Atheist. As great as Cryptopsy is, Atheist is in another league altogether. Oh, well.